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President Trump arrives at Liberty National

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – As the Presidents Cup singles matches moved through the signature hole at Liberty National Golf Club, the large crowds gathered around the green essentially had their backs to the action.

Yes, that was partly because the outcome of the biennial matches was never in doubt on the event’s final day, with the U.S. team walloping their International counterparts and quickly clinching the cup in the final session. But it had more to do with the arrival of President Donald Trump, who stood on the second floor of the glass clubhouse overlooking the action on the 14th green, which typically plays as No. 18 for members.

Trump flew overhead in Marine One at approximately 2:50 p.m. ET, and he arrived at the clubhouse via motorcade promptly at 3 p.m. as expected based on a public schedule released earlier in the day.

With Secret Service agents surrounding the building and adjacent green, Trump was ushered into the commissioner’s hospitality suite. There he met with PGA Tour commissioners both past and present, flanked by Tim Finchem, who retired from his post last year, and current commissioner Jay Monahan.

Trump was invited by the Tour to be an honorary chairman for the event in July. He was to join Monahan for the trophy presentation on the 14th green after the conclusion of the final match, handing the hardware to U.S. captain Steve Stricker.

Trump’s arrival marks the first time that a sitting U.S. president has attended the Presidents Cup since President Bill Clinton was on-site in 2000 at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in northern Virginia. Clinton joined former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama on the first tee Thursday for the opening ceremony and first tee shots of the opening foursomes session.